Michelle Tsiakkas Age Partner Dance Career and Strictly Journey
Michelle Tsiakkas is a Cypriot professional ballroom and Latin dancer best known for her appearances on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. She joined the programme in 2022 and received her first celebrity partner, actor Jamie Borthwick, in 2024. Her departure was confirmed in March 2026, ending a four-series association with the show.
Her television career followed years of competitive dancing and international stage work. Before becoming familiar to Saturday-night audiences, she won dance titles in Cyprus, represented England in competition and performed with Burn the Floor. Those experiences help explain the professional background behind her television performances and why her career extends beyond one programme.
Who Is Michelle Tsiakkas?
Michelle Tsiakkas is a dancer whose career connects three demanding areas of performance: competitive Latin dancing, touring theatre and live television.
For international readers, Strictly Come Dancing is the British celebrity dance competition that inspired versions of Dancing with the Stars around the world. Its professional dancers teach celebrity partners, prepare weekly performances and appear in ensemble routines.
Michelle entered that environment with an established competitive and theatrical background. Her appointment was announced alongside Vito Coppola, Carlos Gu and Lauren Oakley, who also joined the professional cast in 2022.
Quick Biography
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Michelle Tsiakkas |
| Profession | Professional ballroom and Latin dancer |
| Date of birth | Widely reported as 29 August 1995 |
| Age | 31 as of 2 October 2026, based on that birth date |
| Country of origin | Cyprus |
| Competitive background | Latin dance champion in Cyprus; represented England internationally |
| Stage experience | Burn the Floor |
| Joined Strictly | 2022 |
| First main-series celebrity partner | Jamie Borthwick, in 2024 |
| Result with Jamie | Seventh place |
| Publicly reported partner | Dancer Simone Arena |
| Strictly departure | Confirmed in March 2026 |
Michelle Tsiakkas’s Age and Early Life
Michelle Tsiakkas date of birth is widely reported as 29 August 1995, making her 31 years old in October 2026. Heart’s October 2024 profile identified her as 29 at that time, while reporting around her departure from Strictly in March 2026 described her as 30.
She grew up in Cyprus and began dancing at around six years old. Her early training developed into a successful competitive career: professional biographies describe her as an undefeated national Latin champion between 2001 and 2011.
Starting so young meant that dance was part of her life long before television. The route from childhood lessons to national competition requires repeated technical work, rehearsals and experience performing under pressure.
Moving to London
Michelle Tsiakkas later moved to London to continue her studies and dance career. She went on to represent England at international championships.
This sometimes creates confusion in short online biographies. Her Cypriot background and her representation of England in dance competitions describe different parts of her story. The country a dancer represents competitively does not necessarily identify where that person was born or raised.
Her Career Before Strictly Come Dancing
Michelle’s professional experience did not begin when she joined the BBC. Her background already included competition and performances with the international dance production Burn the Floor.
That distinction matters because television introductions can make experienced performers appear to be newcomers. Michelle was new to the Strictly cast in 2022, but she was already accustomed to professional performance.
Performing With Burn the Floor
Burn the Floor brought Michelle Tsiakkas into a theatrical setting, where ballroom and Latin dance are presented as stage entertainment. Her connection to the company is documented in its performer profile and in published accounts of her career.
Competition and theatre place different demands on dancers. A competition routine must meet the expectations of judges; a stage performance also needs to communicate clearly to an audience across an entire venue.
That combination provides useful context for watching her television work. Technique is one part of the performance, alongside musical interpretation, expression and awareness of a partner.
Michelle Tsiakkas’s Strictly Journey
Michelle joined Strictly Come Dancing for its twentieth series in 2022. She was one of four additions to a professional line-up of 20 dancers.
However, joining the professional cast did not immediately mean receiving a celebrity partner. Michelle waited two years before taking part in the main competition with Jamie Borthwick.
She referred to that wait during their 2024 departure interview, explaining how meaningful the partnership had become. Her comments highlighted the friendships and working relationships formed during the series, as well as the dancing itself.
For viewers, this is an important distinction: a professional can belong to the programme’s cast before competing in its weekly celebrity partnerships.
Her Partnership With Jamie Borthwick
Michelle Tsiakkas first main-series celebrity partner was Jamie Borthwick, known for playing Jay Brown in EastEnders. They competed together in 2024 and finished in seventh place.
The partnership gave audiences a sustained opportunity to see Michelle as a teacher and competitive partner. Preparing a celebrity involves more than demonstrating steps: it also means helping that person develop confidence, remember choreography and respond to feedback.
Jamie praised her teaching when their run ended. Michelle, in turn, recognised his effort and improvement throughout the competition. Their farewell comments conveyed mutual respect for the work behind their weekly routines.
When Were Jamie and Michelle Eliminated?
Jamie and Michelle left during the results programme broadcast on 24 November 2024, after a dance-off against Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe.
They repeated their foxtrot to Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me”, while Montell and Johannes performed their quickstep to Ella Fitzgerald’s “Get Happy”. The judges saved Montell and Johannes, ending Jamie and Michelle’s run before the quarter-final.
Has Michelle Tsiakkas Left Strictly?
Yes. Michelle Tsiakkas departure from Strictly Come Dancing was confirmed in March 2026. She is therefore a former professional on the programme, rather than a member of its 2026 cast.
ITV’s subsequent coverage of the 2026 professional line-up listed her among five departing dancers, alongside Karen Hauer, Gorka Márquez, Nadiya Bychkova and Luba Mushtuk. The report also noted that the BBC thanked Michelle for her performances and professionalism.
Michelle publicly expressed disappointment about leaving and said she had hoped for more time on the programme.
Her departure is a significant career update, but it should not be confused with retirement from dancing. Leaving a television cast and ending a professional dance career are separate events.
Who Is Michelle Tsiakkas’s Partner?
Michelle has been publicly reported to be in a relationship with Simone Arena, an Italian professional dancer and choreographer. Published profiles identify both a personal relationship and a shared connection to Burn the Floor.
Simone has also worked on international versions of Dancing with the Stars. Their careers therefore share the experience of touring, rehearsing and performing for television audiences.
The word “partner” can cause confusion in searches about Michelle. Jamie Borthwick was her celebrity dance partner on Strictly; Simone Arena is her publicly reported romantic partner.
A televised dance partnership should not be treated as evidence of a romantic relationship.
Conclusion
Michelle Tsiakkas built her career through competitive Latin dancing, international stage performances and four series with Strictly Come Dancing. Her 2024 partnership with Jamie Borthwick introduced viewers more fully to her work as a teacher and performer. Although her time on the programme ended in 2026, it represents one chapter in a much longer dance career. To see that work in action, revisit her routines with Jamie and explore the stage performances that preceded her television breakthrough.
